It's nothing to do with a DVD layer change. As Rozsaphile says, the scene of the riders fades to black and then there is a fade in to the group of drummers, following on from which the music fades in again.

I thought so too, Doug, until I played the DVD on another player. Suddenly there was no fade out/fade in.

Well George, I've played the DVD on a Blu-ray player a DVD player and two computer drives and they all show the same fade out/fade in. It is definitely a fade out/fade in from the original film print. A disc layer change does not display that type of effect, nor last for anything other than about a second. I assume it's the region 1 disc which you have?

It's nothing to do with a DVD layer change. As Rozsaphile says, the scene of the riders fades to black and then there is a fade in to the group of drummers, following on from which the music fades in again.

I thought so too, Doug, until I played the DVD on another player. Suddenly there was no fade out/fade in.

Well George, I've played the DVD on a Blu-ray player a DVD player and two computer drives and they all show the same fade out/fade in. It is definitely a fade out/fade in from the original film print. A disc layer change does not display that type of effect, nor last for anything other than about a second. I assume it's the region 1 disc which you have?

My DVD also shows the fade - but I checked my old laserdisc and there is no fade, which is how I seem to recall it. If anything, I would imagine a dissolve. If someone has an old 16mm 'scope print they may have the answer.

Well George, I've played the DVD on a Blu-ray player a DVD player and two computer drives and they all show the same fade out/fade in. It is definitely a fade out/fade in from the original film print. A disc layer change does not display that type of effect, nor last for anything other than about a second. I assume it's the region 1 disc which you have?

I agree with your last statement, and there's no doubt about it, the DVD should have been mastered better. It is frustrating. This shouldn't happen on any player!

And I have just recorded some addotional material from TARAS .... more for historical intgerest than anything else.

I am hoping that this "additional material" will include the two traditional choral Christmas carols. The first of these, "Rise Ye Shepherds," includes original lyrics by Mack David. The carol itself was recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1993 (reissued in 2007), with different lyrics as "Midst the Deep Silence" -- track 8b :http://mormontabernaclechoir.org/products/product?product_id=591

Another interesting thing about the movie. The famous Ride to Dubno is quite different from the classic concert/album version. Toward the climax, there is a fade out -- fade in where the music pauses completely. Before it continues, there is some on-screen drumming from mounted Cossacks. I wonder if this hiatus was dictated by a reel change. Somebody should do a history of the reel change someday -- its technical challenges for music editing and the technology that eventually overcame the problem.

The cut to drums only was part of the original scoring notes: "On the dissolve to the drummers, we segue, with drums only until the camera pans screen right and on the first frame, as we pan and see Taras and his crowd going, the orchestra swells in and continues until Taras and his forces come to a standstill." Admittedly, it's not the smoothest of transitions, but it was apparently the intent all along. It's understandable that Waxman didn't want the drums (primarily a visual effect) interrupting the musical flow when the piece is hard away from the film.

George - that clip is exactly the same as the DVD with a fade out and then a fade in with the drums. The point John was making was that the music fades out just before the fade out and then the music fades in again following the drumming which seems a curious editing decision but which is explained by the notes which Frank has access to (although the notes seem to incorrectly refer to a dissolve instead of a fade).

And I have just recorded some addotional material from TARAS .... more for historical intgerest than anything else.

I am hoping that this "additional material" will include the two traditional choral Christmas carols. The first of these, "Rise Ye Shepherds," includes original lyrics by Mack David. The carol itself was recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1993 (reissued in 2007), with different lyrics as "Midst the Deep Silence" -- track 8b :http://mormontabernaclechoir.org/products/product?product_id=591

No release date as yet as my real work ....producing recordings for other record labels and booking orchestras for film, Tv and CD sessions..... is, thankfully, keeping me rather busy in Prague... so not too much time to get in the studio with Gareth to do the final mixing on TARAS and a couple of other Tadlow albums. All I can say is that TARAS will be ready when it is ready....but not tooooo long to go!

The video: bloody amazing! I defy anyone to question why we love film music with such a passion after hearing and witnessing this bit.

Video ain't bad considering shot on 2 tiny flip cameras and 1 old jvc camera of mine .... I got fed up with hiring a professional crew with great gear to take all the wrong shots. If you want something doing do it yourself!